Support the work
Free for everyone.
Funded by readers.
Chain has no paywall, no ads, and no institutional funding with strings attached. Every thread, every entry, every map is free — because the people who most need this history shouldn't have to pay for it.
Make a contribution
Secure payment via Stripe. Cancel anytime.
Chain is fiscally sponsored — donations are tax-deductible.
Where it goes
What your support builds
Every dollar goes directly into research, writing, and keeping Chain free and independent.
Keep the lights on
Covers infrastructure — hosting, DNS, and the tools that keep the site fast and accessible to everyone, everywhere.
Fund a thread chapter
Each chapter in a thread requires hours of research, source verification, and writing. Your $10/month directly supports that work.
Build the encyclopedia
Encyclopedia entries — people, policies, places — take deep research to get right. Your support funds the scholar time behind each one.
Commission a new thread
At the founding tier, your contribution goes toward commissioning a full new thread — from research to publication. Your name in the thread credits.
Why it matters
The paywall is a political choice.
Most serious historical scholarship is locked behind academic paywalls or institutional subscriptions that cost hundreds of dollars a year. The people who most need access to this history — students in underfunded schools, community organizers, families trying to understand their own story — are the ones least able to pay for it.
Chain exists because we believe that understanding the chain — from African civilizations to present-day inequality — should not require a credit card. Your donation makes that possible for everyone.
Support Chain →Our community
Thank you to our supporters
These readers make Chain possible. Join them.